Police Federation of Australia

Issued by: House of Representatives Liaison & Projects Office, Wednesday 22 October 2008

WANTED - Part Time Policewomen

Women in the police services are less likely to be employed part time compared with women in the broader Australian workforce and the Police Federation of Australia see this as an area where women’s participation can be increased. The Police Federation of Australia will appear before the House Employment and Workplace Relations Committee in Committee Room 1R3 Parliament House Canberra on Thursday 23 October from 11 am to discuss this and other issues relevant to the police forces.

“The Committee is keen to discover more about the reasons for the clustering of women officers in particular areas of policing and at the lower ranks in the service. The Committee will also look at the impact these factors may have on women’s pay levels relative to their male colleagues,” Ms Sharryn Jackson, Chair, said.

The Committee is enquiring into the causes of any potential disadvantages in relation to women’s participation in the workforce including:

·       Current structural arrangements in the negotiation of wages that may impact disproportionately on women;
·       The adequacy of current arrangements to ensure fair access to training and promotion for women who have taken maternity leave and/or sought flexible working hours; and

·       The need for further legislative reform to address pay equity.

The Committee will continue the interstate hearings on 24 October in Melbourne and interested persons and organisations are invited to make written submissions to the inquiry.

Further details on the inquiry, including the terms of reference, background documents, membership of the Committee and advice on making submissions can be obtained on the Committee’s website at http://www.aph.gov.au/ewr or by contacting the committee secretariat on (02) 6277 4162 or emailing ewr.reps@aph.gov.au. This hearing will be webcast live (audio only) on: http://webcast.aph.gov.au/livebroadcasting/

For media comment, please contact the Committee Chair, Sharryn Jackson, on (02) 6277 4044

For background information, contact the Committee Secretary, on (02) 6277 4162

Issued by:
Andrew Dawson, media manager, Liaison & Projects Office, House of Representatives Tel: (02) 6277 2063 wk, 0401 143 724 mob.